“God made the solid state. He left the surface to the Devil.” —Enrico Fermi
This sentiment is not new to materials scientists. The understanding, or lack thereof, as to the characteristics of a surface and its interactions with its environment has been at the center of monumental discoveries, and monumental failures. This issue permeates virtually every technological endeavor, whether it is in the field of engineering, chemistry or biology, whether it is focused on nanomaterials technology, extraterrestrial exploration, semiconductor technology, biotechnology manufacturing or pharmaceutical administration and delivery. While understanding the bulk properties of a material presents one problem, but the point at which that material ceases, and one must understand and/or deal with the properties of the surface of that material and how that surface will interact with its environment, is something altogether different.
The present invention is directed at materials and/or their surfaces that are selected and/or configured to meet a variety of different needs, including, inter alia, a capacity and ability of selective binding to desired molecules while preventing excessive binding of undesired molecules, and other advantageous characteristics that will be apparent upon reading the following disclosure.